Wire rope and process of making same



out. 22, 1929. E, A, CQNNER 1,732,640 l WIRE ROPE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed April 29, 1926 lli Jill

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vposed of a plurality of strands each havin Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNlTEDsTATEs PATENT OFFICE EDWARD A. CONNER, OF STRATFORD,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO AMERICAN CABLE COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE Y WIRE ROPE ANDY PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Application med pra 2s,

This invention relates to wire-rope andthe like, and has for its object an lmproved method of manufacturing Wire-rope comscveral wires, the improved method comprising as a novel step the treatment of the component strands after the Wires forming each strand have been laid in the strand, but before the strands have been closed into the rope', to give each strand a' helical conformation corresponding approximately to its final contour when closed into the rope with other similarly preformed strands, whereby the wire-rope produced will have the d eslrable inert lay characteristic 0f stranded wlre-rope or cable such as is produced by the process covered by my Letters Patent No. 1,513,583 granted October 28, 1924; i. e., the Wire-rope is composed of strands which retain their closed relationship to each other when the Wire rope is severed, while the individual Wires of the strand components likewise re tain their closed relationship to each other in the several strands even when severed.`

In pursuance of the above object, the invention provides, in the process of making stranded wire rope, the'steps which comprise forming expansile strands each having a plurality of Wires, and subjecting the several strands to the action ofdevices adapted rto for-m them into helices, and laying them, as they emerge from the devices, in position to form 4component parts of a wire rope having an inert lay conformation.

In other Words, a wire-rope thus produced is stress-free, and thus normalized, in contradistinction to the conventional forms of Wire-rope in' which the tension under which the component wires are laid causes an eX? pansile tendency that results in separation of the strands when the wire-rope is severed.

The improved process of making such incrt-lay wire-rope, in accordance with the present invention, has for a further important object the provision for using, as a strand component for treatment by this process, a strand having ,thev last mentioned conventional construction which comprises several wires which have not been subjected to helical preformation, so that such a strand is expanstrands in which the with a great superiorit `the useful life of this novel 1926. Serial No. 105,352.

with a tension if the strand be severed prior to treating it g in the manner provided for by my present process.

As a convenient brief designation, such a strand is referred to. herein as an expansile strand, and in carrying the present process into effect each such expansile strand is subjected individually as a unitary structure to helical deformation, which may be accomplished concurrently upon the several strands, as part of a continuous process of forming an inert-lay wire-rope comprising such strands, the preformation of the strands constituting a step prior to the step of closing said preformed strands into the wire-rope; or each Wire-strand may be preformed individually as a separate operation not forming part ofthe Wire-rope making proper, and the inert-lay Wire-rope may be made up of such pre-formed strands at the convenience of the manufacturer.

As the result of either mode of procedure, the completed product constitutes a Wire-rope which has the principal desirable characteristics of inert-lay Wire-rope made up of wireindividual Wires have been dpreformed prior to closing into the stran ,Which may be termed inert-lay wirerope preformed throughout, and the product of the present process compares favorably in cost with the former. It also shares therein its length of life and convenience of handling, over ordinary wire-rope ofthe conventional expansile type,

inert-lay wirerope being shown ceed by a considerable percentage that of the aforesaid conventional expansile Wire-rope made of the same materials, and having the same dimensions.

While reserving all benefits to be derived from the novel method herein disclosed, and due to all or any of the desirable properties attributable thereto, one such desirable property may be identified as a certain resilience which the novel product retains, While eX- hibiting the true inert characteristic which it possesses in common Wit-h inter-lay Wireby comparative tests to exas indicated at rope preformed throughout, viz, the characteristic avoidance ofdestructi-ve separation of the components when severed.

The various features ofthe, invention are illustrated and described fully iithe accompanying drawings and specification and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a fragment of expansile strand adapted to serve as a strand component when treated by the process hereinafter disclosed for the formation of inert-lay wire rope.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of part of a wire rope inthe construction of which the said process has been utilized.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the Wire rope shown in Fig. 2. t

Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of a preforming head suitable for carrying the invention into edect.

In the illustrated embodiment, the part designated by the reference numeral 1, is a wire strand, composed of several individual wires 2 which may, and preferably will, be

laid togther in the conventional manner of forming such strand which results in what I have hereinbefore termed an expansile strand, the internal tension of which is such that unless served with a binding as indicated at 3, the strand when severed will explode, the left side of the figure in which the individual Wires 2 are shown as separated in the manner which such strands exhibit if not confined.

In Fig. 2 several strands are shown, designated respectively by the numeral 1 inasmuch as these strands in their original condition were of the type shown in Fig. 1, but in pura Wire rope.

suance of my improved process each of these strands has been preformed, preparatory to being closed into the rope shown in Fig. 2, and'which is designated in its entirety by the reference character R, in order to impart to each stranda helical conformation causing the same to assume the formation normally characteristic of'a component strand in such This normalizing of the strand may be produced by any convenient means, and in Fig. 4 is shown lone type of device for accomplishing the desired result, the same comprising a head 11 in which are inserted firmly a plurality of nozzles or dies 12 adapted to constitute the preforming means by which the strand, or strands, of the type shown at 1 in Fig. 1 may be formed into a helical conformation. In Fig. 4, for this purpose, each nozzle has a peripheral, helical groove 13 confined by the walls 14 of the several bores within which the nozzles 12 are supported by the head 11.

The strands 1 may be preformed, it will be understood. individually, and not collectively as part of a. continuous process of rope formation and closing, but for the sake of convenstrands have been caused to pass through the dies, the helically preformed strands designated by the characters s are brought together and closed, preferably around a core s', to form a rope of the type shown in Fig. 2. The core may be either constituted by another straight1 strand, as indicated at s in Fig. 4, or the core may be of nonmetallic material such as hemp at s2 in Fig. 2 and also in Fig. 3.

rlhe power for drawing the core through the head 11 may be applied to the core rope at a point beyond the head, this drawing mechanism not being illustrated, as any conventional type may be used, it being only necessary that its speed be co-ordinate with the speed at which the strands should be drawn through the preforming devices, and similarly any suitable mechanism may be provided to'rotate the head with its preforming devices about the axis of the wire rope substantially onerevolution to each convolution of the helix. As the wireprope is thus drawn, the strands 1 are drawn from suitable supply spools and subjected to the action of the nozzles 12 which constitute the Aform of preforming device selected for illustration, and each strand emerges from its nozzle in the form of a helix ready to lay easily and without resistance on the core.

It is to be understood, however, that while the particular form of preforming devices illustrated in Fig. 4 have been found useful to carry the method into effect, nevertheless other forms of preforming devices may be utilized, provided that they are suitable t'o effect preformation of the strands properly so that they may be laid into a wire rope posessing the desired inert la characteristic.

By the above method o preforming Wire strands after the individual Wires have been laid into a strand, forming the expansile strand, but before the stiand thus formed has been closed into the Wire rope, not only are the strands given the desired helical prefor- .mation as strands, but each wire 2 of each strand likewise is preformed helically so that it also is normalized, or substantially stressfree, having a helical conformation which embodies a helix around the core of the strand, and also a helix around the axis of the strand helix, and such formation is indicated clearly in Fig. 2.

The complete wire rope is an inert-lay rope, and is characterized by the fact that its component strands are freed from any tendency to destructive separation, and wire rope formed according to the above process exhibits a certain residual resiliency which is highly serviceable in the prolongation of the useful life of the wire rope, the characteristie structure of the rope being illustrated,

so far as the property just described can be illustrated, by the sectional view, Fig. 8, in which the component strands of the Wire rope are shown in the relative positions which characterize a Wire rope capable Vof rendere ing long and useful service.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. ln the process of making inert-lay Wire strand, adapted to constitute a component of an inert-lay Wire rope, the steps which comprise laying a plurality of Wires together under tension as components forming an expansile strand and subsequently subjecting said expansile strand to a force adapted to impart a helical formation to the strand as a unitary structure and thereby to convert said individual Wires severally from said eX- pansile formation to a substantially stress rtree inert-lay conformation, prior to laying the strand into the rope.

2. As a new article of manufacture the preformed inert-lay Wire strand constituting the product ofthe process set forth in claim l.

3,. ln the process of making inert-lay Wirerope, the steps which comprise forming Wires under tension into a plurality of expansile strands, then preforming said strands into the :torin Which they occupy in the rope, by subjecting each eXpansile strand to a force adapted to impart a helical formation to the strand as a unitary structure, whereby each component wire `of each expansile strand is pretormed in a helix around the axis of the strand and in a helix around the axis of the rope, and then closingl said inert-lay strands into the Wire rope.

4c. As a new article of manufacture, the product of the process set forth in claim 3.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

EDWARD A. CONNER. 

